Textile treating device

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE FOR PLEATING WEBS WHEREIN A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE CONVEYOR MEMBERS HAVING RESPECTIVE PORTIONS OF SUPERIMPOSED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER DEFINE A GENERALLY &#34;U&#34; SHAPED WEB MOVEMENT PATH. THE MEMBERS ARE DRIVEN AT A PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL SPEED WHILE WEB IS INTRODUCED INTO THE PATH IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE PORTIONS AT A SPEED GREATER THAN THE PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL PATH, WHEREBY THE FABRIC OR WEB FOLDS INTO PLEATS. IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, THE CONVEYOR MEMBERS ARE FORMED FROM CHAIN BLETS. ALSO PREFERRED IS THE USE OF A TANK AND A SEPARATING WALL ATTACHED THERETO WHICH PERMITS THE USE OF TREATING FLUIDS TO SATURATE, DYE, WASH OR OTHERWISE TREAT THE WEB BEING USED IN THE DEVICE OF THIS INVENTION.

Jan. 12, 19 71 A. KQjRfiCH 3,553,983

TEXTILE TREATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 2.3. 1968 INVENTOR. ALFRED KORSCH.

United States Patent 3,553,983 TEXTILE TREATING DEVICE Alfred Korsch, Krefeld, Germany, assignor to Gerber & Co., G.m.b.H., Krefeld, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Sept. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 761,542 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 26, 1967,

1,610,964 Int. Cl. D06f 17/00 US. Cl. 68-177 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for pleating Webs wherein a pair of longitudinally movable conveyor members having respective portions of superimposed relative to each other define a generally U shaped web movement path. The members are driven at a predetermined longitudinal speed while web is introduced into the path in the direction of movement of the portions at a speed greater than the predetermined longitudinal path, whereby the fabric or web folds into pleats. In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor members are formed from chain belts. Also preferred is the use of a tank and a separating wall attached thereto which permits the use of treating fluids to saturate, dye, wash or otherwise treat the web being used in the device of this invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a means for pleating webs and particularly relates to the treatment of fabrics and other textiles, particularly where the textiles are sensitive to tension or shear.

Devices which are employed to treat continuous webs such as paper, textile, plastic, metal and other continuous webs have caused substantial forces or stresses to be placed upon the web being treated. Other instances, the desirability of folding continuous webs of the above described nature, whether for packaging or for further processing, has involved machinery which creates stresses and tensions on the web, thereby damaging the product.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device for folding or pleating continuous webs, using as much of the webs own natural tendency to pleat or fold as possible.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for treating textiles wherein substantial quantities of textiles and other web-like materials may be treated in a relatively small amount of space, due to the pleating of the goods during the treatment.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It has now been discovered that an effective device can be manufactured which adequately permits the folding of or pleating of webs such as textiles, fabrics, paper, thin metal sheets and other web-like materials without subjecting the material or web to any substantial degree of tension, stress or strain. Basically, the invention encompasses the use of a pair of longitudinally movable conveyor members such as chain belts including respective portions of these members which are superimposed relative to each other to define therebetween a generally U- shaped web movement path. The members are provided with conveyor drive means for moving the members simultaneously at a predetermined longitudinal speed. In addition, web drive provided for moving the web longitudinally into the path in the same direction as said movement of the portions of the conveyor members and at a speed greater than the predetermined longitudinal speed. The operation of the web feed at a greater speed causes the web to fold naturally and without substantial or measurable stress between the two longitudinally movable conveyor members. At the end of the U-shaped web movement path, further means are provided for withdrawing the web at a speed greater than the speed of the conveyor drive means, thereby unfolding or unpleating the web should such action be desired. In addition, the conveyor members may be driven at different speeds with respect to the other while still accomplishing a folding or pleating action on the web being processed.

In a preferred embodiment, wherein the present invention is employed in a treating of textiles, fabrics or other related materials, and particularly where the web being treated is to be subjected to fluid treatment, such as dyes, bleaches, wash fluid, etc., a tank means is included. The tank mean-s generally has a bottom portion having inlet and outlet sides, with the inlet and outlet sides being at an angle with the vertical. In this manner, a U-shaped path is defined. A separating wall is further provided within the tank, having a first portion near the inlet side to the tank bottom with said first portion being more nearly vertical than the tank bottom. This is to provide a funnel shaped portion at the inlet of the treating zone. The second portion of the separating wall is parallel to the bottom of the tank to define a uniform chamber for the balance of the treating area. The first of the two longitudinally movable conveyor members is positioned such that a portion of the member passes between the tank bottom and the separating wall in the U-shaped path. The second longitudinally movable conveyor member is positioned such that a portion of that belt passes between the tank bottom and the first chain belt. Thus the U-shaped web movement path is defined between the separating wall and the tank and an area exists between the two conveyor members for treating the webs according to the present invention. The device includes textile feed means positioned near the inlet side of the tank which is adapted to feed the textiles between the conveyor members at a rate greater than that of the conveyor members, thereby causing the folding or pleating action to take place. Further means are provided to remove the textile from the outlet side of the tank. Finally, fiuid supply means are provided, being positioned within the tank and adapted to supply fluid to the textile, fabric or other web being treated.

For a more complete understanding of the drawing, particularly as illustrated by the preferred embodiment described herein, reference is hereby made to the drawing, in which:

The figure presents a schematic section view of a device built according to the principles of the present invention.

In the figure, a pair of longitudinal movable conveyor members 10 and 12 are provided. Conveyor member '10 is supported by rolls 11 and 11a, which are driven by a means not shown but of conventional design. Likewise, belt 12 is supported and driven by rolls 13 and 13a. In both instances, the drive means have not been shown since many means for driving rolls are conventionally known. The particular methodof driving the rolls forms no part of the present invention.

As entering in the direction shown by arrow 15, the textile 14 is introduced into the device through web drive means such as rolls 16 and 16a. As the textile 14 approaches the U-shaped web movement path formed by the belt 10 and 12,-the fabric 14 is formed into folds 14a. The pleating or folding of the fabric 14 into folds or pleats 14a is accomplished by causing the belts 10 and 12 to operate at a slower speed than the drive means, drive rolls 16 and 16a are introducing the fabric 14 into the device. At the completion of the U-shaped web movement path, the fabric 14 is withdrawn through rolls 17 and 17a for further processing. It should be pointed out that if it were desirable to package the fabric 14 after treatment and simply after being formed into the pleats 14a, it would be a simple matter to permit the folded fabric 14a to be passed directly into containers of some nature.

Oftentimes it is additionally desirable to treat the fabric 14 with a variety of fluids such as bleaches, dyes, washing fluids, chemical reactants, and the like. Nozzles 18 and 18a are provided in the interior portion of the convergence of the belts and 12 to treat the textile 14 with whatever fluid is desirable.

It is also desirable in most instances to provide means for collecting the fluid which is used to treat the web being processed by the present invention. As shown in the figure, this is accomplished by a tank 19 having a bottom portion including an inlet side 19a and an outlet side 1%. Below this space the sides 19a and 1912 form an angle with the vertical to thereby cause a generally U-shaped path. Also provided is a separating wall 22 having a first portion 22a near the first portion of the tank 19a, with the first portion 22a of the separating wall being more nearly vertical than the inlet side 19a of the tank 19. As shown in the figure, the inlet portion or first portion of the separating wall 22 is vertical. The purpose of this relationship with the vertical of the walls 19a and 22a is to provide a funnel shaped portion at the inlet of the treating zone. The balance of the separating wall 22 comprises a second portion 22b which is parallel to the portions 19a and 19b of the tank 19. Thus a U-shaped web movement path surrounding the path taken by the belts 10 and 12 is provided. As can be seen the fluid introduced onto the belt 14 through nozzles 18 and 18a will fall down into the path between the tank 19 and the separating wall 22. As the textile is treated, this fluid will build up in the tank 19. Thus it is a preferred embodiment to limit the height of the second portion of the separating wall 22 to less than that of the tank 19. As shown in FIG. 1, the overflow 21 is caused by an introduction of sufficient quantities of fluid into the tank so that the fluid overflow 21 permits the fluid to fall to the other side of the separating wall 22 in the area shown generally by the number 20.

The operation of the device then would be as follows. The material 14 would enter in the direction of arrow through rollers 16 and 16a, pass down towards the U- shaped treating path formed between the belt 10 and 12 and be immersed in fluid or treating solution through nozzles 18 and 18a prior to the convergence of the belts 10 and 12. At the point where the belts 10 and 12 form a U-shaped treating path, and where the portions of the longitudinally movable conveyor members are superimposed relative to each other to define therebetween a generally U-sha-ped web movement path, the textile 14 is formed into pleats 14a. As the textile is continuously treated, and more fluid is introduced through nozzles 22,

the generally U-shaped path fills up with treating fluid and overflows at overflow 21, thereby permitting collection of excess fluid at 20. The textile is then withdrawn through rolls 17 and 17a.

Other modifications and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device for treating textiles, comprising:

tank means including a bottom portion having inlet and outlet sides, said inlet and outlet sides being at an angle with the vertical to thereby define a U-shaped path;

a separating wall positioned within said tank having a first portion near said inlet side of said tank bottom, said first portion being more nearly vertical than said tank bottom, and a second portion parallel to said tank bottom, said separating wall being lower at the outlet side than the top of said tank;

a first chain belt including drive means therefor and positioned such that a portion of said belt passes between said tank bottom and said separating wall in said U-shaped area;

a second chain belt including drive means therefor and positioned such that a portion of said belt passes between said tank bottom and said first chain belt in said U-shaped area;

textile feed means positioned near said inlet side of said tank and adapted to feed textile between said first and said second chain belts at a rate greater than that of said belt;

means for removing said textile from said outlet side of said tank; and

fluid supply means positioned within said tank and adapted 0t supply fluid to said textile for treatment thereof.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said fluid supply means includes a pair of nozzles disposed within said tank and adapted to spray said fabric such that one of said nozzles is on each side of said textile.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said separating wall second portion is provided with overflow means for collecting excess fluid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,220,268 3/1917 Payet 68-177X 1,246,993 11/1917 Payet 68177X FOREIGN PATENTS 152,221 l/1932 Switzerland 68l77 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner 

